Casters Fly Shop was established in Hickory, North Carolina in 1999. We are located at the foothills of the Appalachian mountains in western North Carolina- the gateway to some of the finest trout waters east and west of the Mississippi. It is our mission, as a Platinum Orvis Dealer, to furnish the fly angler with all the tools necessary to be successful on the water or in front of the fly tying bench.

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

This time of the year is one of my favorite times as a fly shop owner. It is the time of the year when new products are unveiled from manufacturers and distributors from around the world. Just as every year, there are quite a few items that stand alone in their respective categories- MooseKnuckle Lanyards, Sculpin Helmets, and the Buff Bugslinger UV Buff to name a few.

As a tier, I am most intrigued by the J:sonSweden System which was designed and developed by Claes Johansson from Sweden. Some may say that his system is crossing the line between tying flies and creating lures but Id have to say PHOOEY. Synthetic materials are synthetic materials and natural materials are natural materials. Fly tying is about creating so it shouldn't matter what we use as long as we sit at the tying bench and create with tying tools, thread and the necessary materials.

Once again, what is a purist? I guess I'm a purist in my own right but my school of purist thought is that anglers and tiers can do what they want if it gives them pleasure and remains within the bounds of the law. After all, we all participate in the wonderful world of fishing and tying because it makes up part of our soul. One technique isn't better than another. All that matters is that we all reach a sense of individual satisfaction and gratification, and we're all comfortable with the way we achieved those feelings.

The J:son System is really cool. Tiers can now create ultra realistic dry flies, emergers, pupae, nymphs and larva without having to spend a ton of time doing it.

The wing and wing pad burners are brilliantly designed from stainless steel and the detached body pins aren't too shabby either.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Sight fishing to large trout (or any fish for that matter) is one of the situations that I live for. The video below is a moment that is now in my permanent memory bank. These are the moments that I reminisce on for a long time.

Note: I eventually landed the fish and she was around 24 inches in length. Sorry for the bad camera work. I was holding the camera with my left hand and the rod in my right hand. Time for a headcam!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

This past Friday, I went to Little River (Virginia) for a morning of angling recon and had little idea of what to expect. We've had an extremely hot summer so I assumed water temps would be too warm for a productive day of fishing. Boy..... was I wrong. Morning air temps were in the low 60's and water temps followed suit. Typically, summer water temps and nighttime temps seem to correspond to one another in many of the mountain streams of Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina (other than the tailraces). Also, keep in mind, the stretch of water I was fishing is only 7 miles from where 3 aquifers emerge from the ground. As a result, water temps stay relatively cool in comparison to many of other streams in the area. This is one situation to focus on if you decide to go trout fishing during the "dog days" of summer.

I started out with a deep nymphing rig and quickly changed to a giant hopper and nymph/squirmy dropper rig. The fishing was red hot from the start. Just like summers past, the fish rose to the surface (beginning around 10am), where they held and picked off mostly any terrestrial that came across their path. I have discovered that this conditioned response seems to coincide with the rising decibels of the daily song of hoppers, katydids and other singing terrestrials.

I flailed on several large fish but landed many others. All in all, it was a great day of angling. The Donkey Kong Hopper, Fat Albert, Hetero-genius Nymph and Squirmy Wormie were the flies of the day. Below is a short video of what went on throughout the morning.

Hint: Be sure to cast in (and follow) the shade/sun lines. Trout will use these lines as perceived cover and feel comfortable enough to use them as feeding lanes. Dont look for fish, look for tails, heads, and flash/movement. Often times, there is too much glare in these areas to spot fish effectively but that is definitely where the fish like to hold.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Simply put, it's a grub (and a very easy one to tie). Ooey Gooey Grub™ follows the old adage, "simple yet effective." The previous 8 years, it has been one of the best selling patterns of all those created by those tiers that are part of the Orvis Fly Design Team. Created and tied by Dave Hise- 2005 Orvis Fly Tier of the Year, Orvis Fly Designer (since 1997), 2011 Orvis Endorsed Guide of the Year Runner-Up.

Hise's Hot Spot Hetero-genius™

The hetero-genius nymph pattern provides a realistic design with a hint of flash and color.

I have fished this nymph pattern, religiously, since the early 90's and it has fooled trout in streams throughout the world. Skeptics say it slays the "stockers", which is true. However, I've had a multitude of testimonials from anglers who have used it with great success in locales like New Zealand, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Argentina, Germany, California, Canada, Michigan, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, you name it.

Why is it so productive? It is a great searching nymph but also shows characteristics of a multitude of mayfly and caddis species. The "hot spot" seems to be a trigger and there are a various theories of why that is. Consider this pattern the represent all nymph of all represent all nymphs. High stick nymph it or fish it under an indicator for the best results. Blue, yellow, chartreuse, hot orange, or hot pink hot spots have been the most productive; particularly hot orange and yellow.

Dave Hise/Casters Fly Shop

Handy Work at the Helm

Fish from Video Above

About Me

I grew up in Los Angeles and my fly fishing addiction began at the age of 14. Growing up, I fly fished places like Piru Creek, San Gabriel River, and the LA River; but also made frequent jaunts throughout the West.
I went away to college and completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1989 with a degree in Physical Anthropology.
It was at that point, that I strived to become a Forensic Osteologist. I moved to Michigan to attend graduate school at Michigan State University, where I was in the PhD program in Forensic Osteology. Following roughly 3 years of field work, which included many hours in the morgue, I began to wonder if I was really cut out for that line of work.
I understood that fly fishing was my real passion but often wondered how I could make a career out of my hobby. My primary line of work throughout school was guiding and working in fly shops. In my mind, I knew the fly fishing industry. With this in mind, I decided to quit graduate school and move to Montana. The rest is history....